Page 10 - drive a2b dec 2019 web

INQUIRY
VICTORIA
NEWS

FINISHED

WORK TO

BE DONE Rod Barton MLC

Leader, Transport Matters Party

We have come to the end consequences of taxi Ministers to make sure that all
of our first year in Victoria's industry reform and the these recommendations are
State Parliament and it has issues and needs of Victoria’s implemented in full.
been a busy time as we wrap Commercial Passenger
up the Parliamentary Inquiry Vehicle Industry as it grows Touting
into the 2017 reforms to and evolves.
ROD B
the Commercial Passenger We have already started
Vehicle (CPV) industry. Many of the stories we
heard as a committee were the process, with my
ART
I was very pleased with the personal and heartbreaking. I amendments to a Transport
13 recommendations the sincerely thank all those who Legislation Bill that makes
committee, which I was took the time to tell their story. touting an offense in Victoria
a member of, tabled in The tales of how reform has passing both Upper and
Parliament in late November. impacted families are still very Lower Houses at the end of
ON MP
The recommendations raw and painful wounds. November.
recognise the harm that has The Minister has promised
been done to the taxi and The deregulation of the taxi that Commercial Passenger
hire car industry in Victoria, and hire car industry has had Vehicles Victoria (CPVV)
and provide an opportunity a wide impact on families and will start issuing fines to
to repair the past and pave on the financial stability of the people caught touting at
the way for a viable and industry. The reforms have Melbourne Airport, in the city
sustainable future for CPVs in also had an environmental and at major events before
our state. impact with a massive
increase in the number of Christmas 2019.
Getting this inquiry up was vehicles on the road, and have
my first win in Parliament resulted in dangerous and It will be an
and created a platform to varying safety standards and expensive mistake,
revisit the reform process. practices that have put both with individual
Over the past 10 months the users and drivers at risk. fines up to almost
committee has been hugely
successful in identifying My work starts now, as I work $10,000.
the many unintended with the Government and

10 DRIVE A2B magazine · December 2019 / January 2020